The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-12-14
A Interesting Article About Broom Corn
The Large or the Small Cow.
Winter Work On the Farm---Hindling Ssed
PoatO,s---Jlmsoa Weed Rsmsdy.
Facts and Finciss Concerning all Kinds 81
POultry---Canning Factories.
Fast Walking Horses-HousehoId Hints
Dairy Notes-NOtes Concerning the
Farm and Live Stock
Broom Corn.
Chicago Times.

Chicago Times.
Chicago is the largest market in the
worlc for broom corn, and handles five
times as much as Philadelphia, which fol.
lows next. There are fourteen dealers in
this city who handle almost all of the en-.
tire crop.
Realizing the necessity of maintaining
an even and satisfactory market, these four
teen dealers put their heads together last
May and organized what is now known as
The Chicago Broom Corn Exchange, +"
with headquarters in the Ewing Block,
corner North Clark and Kinzie streets,
where the members congregate a ia speci-
lied hour each day to buy and sell csr-lots
OF broom corn. Samuel Boyles is the
president; E. F. Dunton, yice-president;
A. ID. Ferry, secretary; II. f. Vehmeyer,
treasurer, and w. L. Roseboom, A. II.
Grunewald. ]. n. Hubbard, ]. L. Strana-
han, and W. S. Hancock comprise the
Board of Directors. Nearly all the whole
sale dealing in broom corn takes place at
the Exchange, and the opinion is unani-
nous that the organization is and will
continue to be successful one.
The crop of. broom corn this year, as esti-
mated by conservative and reliable author
tiles. Is put down at 10 900 tons, against
80, 600 last year and Is, 600 tons in 1885.
The crop this year is divided among the
broom-corn producing States as follows
Illinois, 5000 tons; Kansas, 900 tons
Nebraska, ? 600 tons; Missouri, 1000 tons
Ohio, 800 tons; Iowa, 200 tons; Tennessee,
$50 tons, and New York, $50 tons. The
acreage this year is much larger than last,
while the tonnage Is only about One-half
In Kansas and Nebraska the drouth and
chinch bugs have made,sad havoc, aud have
cut down the crop in those States fully
IS per cent. The drouth and chinch bugs
after getting in their work there were aided
Oy heavy rains during September, and the
crop as 1t was being harvested suffered
much damage from the latter cause, which
resulted in not only cutting down the total
crop to small proportions, but in making
the quality of II very Inferior. Tbs qusl-
ity OF the Illinois and Missouri crops is
superior to any crop grown for several
years.
The ann ual consumption Of broom corn
is estimated at 25, 900 tons. With a crop
of Is, 900 tons this season and only 5000
tons carried over from last year, it Is ap-
parent that there is q shortage of 4. 600
tons in the quantity necessary to supply
the demand, and dealers claim that as
soon as the situation becomes generally
known corn will advance. Prices are now
higher than year ago, and the bulk, say
four-ifths of the crop, is now in the second
hands. Last year farmers and buyers
held off for 500 to 800 per ton aud were
finally Obliged to accept $50 to SD later
on. This season they have forced their
corn on the market, and have never been
so anxious to sell as they now are. 1t is
claimed that this is due partly on account
of their having been caught last season
and partly on account of their being forced
to realize on their crops to obtain ready
money. Out in Kansas and Missouri corn
is selling at from $40 tn $50 per ton, while
in central Illinois $50 to SO is readily
paid.
The corn raised this season will MAKE
about 100 dozen broo ms to the ton. Las
year il mace only about eighty dozen, a
the length of the spikes or grass was 81
much greater than usual, two thirds of th
crop being too long to admit of its beinl
used without waste. Quotations from
broom corn in this market at present writ
ing are as follows:
Hurl, choice green. a.
Hurl, red yellow tipped...................3 ass
sell working green az
Self-WOrking, coarse, seedy, commOn......2 h93
Long. staIky seedy and bad cOOr....2hg3
Crooked-Half price of straight.
The largest factory in the world wher
brooms are made is in ST. Louis. Tn
next largest is in Amsterdam, n. y. Tn
third is likewise in Amsterdam. The sec
ond largest factory in the West is in Chi
cago. Broom-cOrn is said to be q native O
India; it has jointed stem like a weed
and grows TO the height of about ten feet
and bears an effuse spike OF which tn
brooms are made In 1793 broom-corn bS
gan to attract attention and was largel
used in the manufacture or brooms. whic
then sold for 80 cents apiece, the Shake
societies in the United States being III
principal manufacturers.